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During part of my early childhood I lived with my Granny. I remember having many meals of pinto beans and cornbread. I don't think of this meal as soup, although you can certainly characterize it as a bowl of soup; nor do I think of pinto beans as a side dish, even though they would certainly lend themselves as a side dish to many meals. For me, the dish is simply pinto beans and cornbread.

Directions:
Look beans over and remove any broken or funny looking ones along with any rocks you find. Rinse beans in cold water then place beans into a large pot and cover with about 2 quarts water. Cover pot and over high heat, bring beans to a full rolling boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then turn off heat and let sit for 2 hours.

Drain beans and place into slow cooker. Chop ham into smaller pieces. Add ham and onion, then pour in beer and remaining water. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or until a bean can be easily smashed against the side. While cooking, look through lid and add more hot water (about a cup at a time) as needed to prevent beans from cooking dry. To thicken, using a spatula, smash some beans against the side of the slow cooker and stir smashed beans into the rest - after 10 minutes, mixture will have thickened up some. Season with salt/pepper to taste.

Note: Never add salt before beans have mostly cooked as it will prevent them from getting soft.

About the blog . . .

Here you will find recipes from three generations of home cooks. You'll also find a few tips, tricks and shortcuts along the way to make your cooking easier. This is why my husband calls me "Shortcut Sally." There are times when slaving over a meal is warranted and times when it won't affect the final result if you don't. The trick is for you to know the difference and that your guests don't have a clue.